The Outcast
by Spotsylvania
Summary: Set right after the ending of Season 1. Jenny Mills finds some unexpected help from a U.S. Marshal on the trail of Henry Parrish. With the revelation that the feds have been fighting Moloch's demons too, she and Marshal Cassian team up to try and save Ichabod, Abbie, and Katrina. With the war against Moloch and his Horsemen heating up, they'll need all the help they can get.
1. Chapter 1

The Outcast

Jenny Mills regained consciousness after several hours. She remembered that the Horseman had shot out her cars tires, causing the vehicle to careen over the road and crash upside-down. Mustering all her strength, she tumble out of the broken window and fell out into the street. She tried to get up, and managed to sit against a tree. Henry Parrish, known to her as the Sineater, was the 2nd Horseman. Jenny had tried to reach her sister, Abbie, on the phone to tell her what she had discovered, but it had gone to voice-mail. She had to get to her and Ichabod and tell them, but she didn't have the energy to walk. All she could do was sit and wait to recover enough strength to somehow find help.

About 15 minutes passed before she saw a Dodge sedan coming down the road. She waved her hand and tried to shout to get the driver's attention, and it worked.

A man got out of his car and rushed over to her, "I'm calling 9-1-1. Here, let me help you..."

"I've got to find Abbie... The others-have got to warn them..." she murmured as the stranger cleaned some of the blood off her face after he called for an ambulance.

"Let's just focus on getting you to the hospital. That is one nasty-looking crash. How did it happen?" he asked her.

Despite being woozy, she was alert enough to see the star on the man's belt, "You're a U.S. Marshal?" "Yep, does that mean something to you?" the marshal looked at her with a curious stare.

Jenny knew that with Ichabod, Katrina, and Abbie unaware of Parrish being the 2nd Horseman, they were in serious trouble. She was in no condition to find and warn them, but perhaps the marshal could. It was highly doubtful that he would believe anything she said, but at this point she was desperate. "What's your name? Maybe there's family or friends that I can contact to be at the hospital with you?" the stranger asked her another question.

"Abbie is my sister. Perhaps you know her, Sheriff's Deputy Abbie Mills?" Jenny relayed this information to him.

"Now that you mention it, that name sounds familiar. I may have crossed paths with her at one point..." he replied.

"I tried calling her, but she didn't pick up. I'm afraid something happened to her. Can you look for her?" she requested.

"Sure, but first let's get you to the hospital," the marshal focused on her health.

It was then that the shattered glass of the SUV's window caught his attention. The pattern of it caused alarm bells as he turned back to Jenny, "Someone shot out the window in your car, which means this 'accident' was intentional. Do you know who did this?"

She flinched, knowing the marshal was on to her. Unfortunately, telling him the truth was the only possible way she could help her sister and Ichabod and his wife, "It was the Headless Horseman. I know that's farfetched, but it's true..."

The marshal didn't seem surprised at all, which left her in shock. Did he actually believe her? She soon got the answer to that question.

"It's not farfetched at all. With the type of shit I investigate and the people I chase down, that seems pretty reasonable," the man nodded.

"Wait, what kind of marshal are you?" Jenny realized she may have found an ally.

At that point, sirens pierced the stillness as several police cars and an ambulance approached in the distance.

"There will be plenty of time for explanations later. For now, let's get you patched up," the marshal stood up to direct the first responders in to the crash site.

A couple of hours later, Jenny woke up in a hospital room after being given a sedative. She looked around and saw the marshal sitting near her bed.

"So you're Jenny Mills, sister of Deputy Abbie Mills. We didn't get the chance to have a proper introduction. My name is Aetius Cassian, U.S. Marshal of the Strategic Tactics Division. I operate out of the New Rochelle bureau, not too far from here. As far as your sister goes, I called the Sleepy Hollow PD and her house. No one has reported seeing her at all. I think it's safe to say your sister is in some sort of trouble?" the marshal calmly spoke to her.

"You do believe me about the Headless Horseman?" Jenny wanted to make sure he was on her side.

"I do. In fact, the reason I was driving by where you were was to track down a fugitive by the name of Henry Parrish. The feds want to talk to him about some chats he had with death row prisoners. We have him on charges such as using false names, impersonating a priest, and other such things. There is also another reason why I was chosen to track him down..." Aetius explained why he was there.

Abbie's sister started to understand what the marshal was getting at, "Your branch of the marshals is for investigating paranormal occurrences, isn't it?"

He smiled, "You learn quickly. Whenever something out of the ordinary is reported and there's some evidence to back it up, we get sent out to contain it and protect people. In the case of Mr. Parrish, we've learned that he has magical powers of some sort. I'm gathering you know him by the fact that you just mentioned a headless horseman..."

She couldn't believe her luck. Here was the chance for her to have help from the feds to save the world from Moloch, but was it too good to be true. The thought crossed her mind that Aetius could be a fraud, "Before I answer that, prove to me you're a real United States Marshal. I need to know you're not pranking me or something."

He took out his identification papers, which included photos of his swearing in several years ago by a federal judge that Jennifer recognized. She let out a sigh of relief, "Okay, so I know you're the real deal. Well, this Parrish guy as known as the Sineater. He touches people and absorbs the memory of their sins, basically helping them forgive themselves. I assume that's what he was doing with the inmates you were talking about. But he played us the entire time..."

"That doesn't surprise me. He's a master liar from what I've read about him. Every time I get close to nabbing him, he's always one step ahead of me. It's very hard to get a bead on him, and I've been chasing him from NYC through Albany. So how did he play you?" he questioned her.

Jenny sat back and told the story, "There was a clue about the 2nd Horseman, War, being associated with some kind of saint. I went to look at an abandoned church that might give us some more information on that. Turns out it was called St. Henry's Parish. That's when I realized he was the Horseman of War..." Aetius was stunned, "Horsemen as in the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the ending of the world?! Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I know it sounds insane, but this demon named Moloch is in charge of Purgatory and wants to bring an end to civilization as we know. He wants to rule the world, or what's left of it after his Horsemen do their damage. He's the one responsible for raising the two Horsemen in the world right now," she dropped a bombshell.

The U.S. Marshal gritted his teeth, "Shit, I was hoping this wouldn't happen..."

"Wait, you knew about this?!"

"This is why the Strategic Tactics Division was created in the first place. We have marshals in all 50 states keeping tabs on demonic activity and other paranormal events. Any time you've heard rumors of demon sightings, that was us shutting it down and keeping people safe. You and your sister aren't the only ones with access to artifacts and documents that help to combat these evil SOBs. The intelligence section of our division had picked up some hints of a possible apocalypse, but there was no concreter evidence for it. We just thought it was a bunch of bullshit. Turns out we were wrong..."

"Combat them? The Marshals Service has weapons against demons?"

"Yep, silver bullets, rudimentary lasers, knives with tips containing elements that break down electromagnetic compounds, etc. The Department of Justice gives us a good budget for that type of stuff, but I don't think any of it would do any good against the Horsemen. It's worth a shot, though." Jennifer was absolutely taken aback. All this time that she, Ichabod, and Abbie were battling Moloch's minions, the federal government had been doing the same thing across the country using the Marshals Service. "So let me get this straight. The Department of Justice has been fighting demons Moloch sent out this entire time?!" she looked incredulously at him.

Aetius nodded, "And it's been kept top-secret too. Alarming the public won't help things that much, so we keep a low profile. People in New Rochelle think I'm just a regular marshal who chases down wanted fugitives."

"Do you think you can help me find Abbie and Ichabod?" Jenny asked the fateful question.

"I have to say if what you're telling me about two of the four Horsemen roaming around Sleepy Hollow is true, then our worst fears may be realized. The government has no idea how to kill these guys and prevent the apocalypse from occuring. If you and your friends have experience with these scumbags, then maybe we can use that to our advantage and figure out a way to defeat them. I would be happy to help you, but who's Ichabod? You're not talking about the folk tale character from the short story, are you?" he wondered what the hell he was getting himself into.

"Uh yeah, he's a real person. He was a soldier for General Washington in the Revolutionary War, and even then they were fighting Moloch. His wife put him in a type of spell where he was resurrected after dying in battle against the Headless Horseman. After a whole lot of adjusting, he and my sister are cops with the police department. We've fought and beaten demons like the Sandman. Just recently, we discovered Washington's tomb and a map he left behind to get to Purgatory. We needed Ichabod's wife, Katrina, to cast a binding spell on the soil where the 2nd Horsemen was supposed to emerge. She's trapped in Purgatory, and I have no idea if they got her out or what Parrish did. That's when the headless guy caused me to crash as I tried to warn them about the Sineater," she explained from her hospital bed.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe you..." the marshal replied in a solemn tone.

Jennifer almost jumped out of the bed, "Then let's go and find them! There's no time to waste."

Aetius restrained her, "Let's just make sure the doctor says you're good enough to be discharged. He told me you were in remarkable condition considering the massive crash you were in. A lot of cuts and bruises, but otherwise unharmed. Promise me you'll stay here while I check with him, okay?"

She reluctantly agreed, "Alright, alright, but make it fast."

He nodded and exited the room to see if she was healthy enough to be discharged. After some arguing with the doctor, he came back in, "I was able to convince him to put a rush on your discharge papers. We should be ready to go soon."

"Good, I just got my sister back in my life, and I don't want to lose her again..." she was relieved to hear his news.

Once ten minutes had passed, the doctor finally gave them the okay to leave. Aetius helped Jenny walk to his car. Once they were both buckled in, he turned to her, "Any idea where Ichabod and Abbie went?"

"Somewhere in the woods. Do you have a piece of paper? I might be able to draw some of the map Ichabod showed us," she turned to him.

He gave her what she asked for, "Take your best shot."

After several minutes went by, Jennifer had completed a rough sketch of the map, "We need to go to this section of the woods. I'll point you in the right direction as you drive."

"Then let's go find Ichabod and Abbie," Aetius smiled as he stepped on the gas and the car roared down the road.


	2. Chapter 2

They closely followed the map, going deep into the woods. Jenny almost got lost, but she managed to keep on track and finally found the spot Ichabod had marked where Purgatory supposedly was.

Aetius stood on the spot, "Do you think they rescued Katrina from there?"

"Knowing Abbie and Ichabod like I do, I bet they did. I don't even know how to get into there. There was some incantation for it, but I don't remember what it is. We're better off searching for them in the woods..." Jenny tried to peruse her mind for clues as to where her friends could be.

Marshal Cassian walked around a bit before kneeling and touching some leaves on the ground, "The terrain here has been disturbed. They were definitely here, and the path leads away from the Purgatory spot. Follow me, I think I can get a bead on it."

"That part of marshal training?" she asked as she followed him.

He continued looking at the ground and following the trail, "No, but I've learned a thing or two about tracking with all the fugitives I've caught. Experience is the greatest teacher, never forget that."

"I know that better than anyone, maybe even you," she laughed as they continued walking.

The marshal traced the trail for about a half-hour before he stopped, "The terrain's pretty smooth from here on out. They stopped here for some reason."

Jenny looked up and saw four white trees, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is where they went to stop the 2nd Horseman from coming into the world."

"Judging by the fact that there's no trail coming from this area, it's safe to say the shit hit the fan here..." Aetius knelt down and examined the base of the trees.

Ichabod was locked in the wooden box his own son had put him in. He was trapped with no apparent way out. He had prayed that Jenny would figure out something had happened and possibly rescue him. It was agony being in there for hours, but then he thought he heard footsteps. He listened more closely, and heard the faint sound of a voice talking.

He immediately began to shout for help, "Is someone up there? Please help me! I'm locked in here!"

"Did you hear that?" Aetius could have sworn he heard someone calling for help.

"Yeah, I did. It's got to be Ichabod, Abbie, or Katrina. Can you find out where it's coming from?" Jenny agreed.

He nodded and shouted himself, "We can hear you. Shout again!"

They heard the voice again, and the marshal began to trace the spot where it was coming from. The process continued until Aetius was certain of the spot, "I'm right over you. We're going to start digging to get you out of here!"

"I guess we're going to have to use our hands," she sighed as they didn't bring a shovel with them. The two of them began to dig.

Ichabod was elated to hear an answering voice and even more satisfied to hear the sound of digging from above. After a couple of hours, Jenny and Aetius finally broke through and reached the box.

"So how are we going to pry this thing open?" he heard the marshal's voice.

"We could use a sturdy tree branch as a lever and crank it open that way," Ichabod also heard Jenny's voice.

"We'll have to get the lid open a bit to fit the branch in," the male voice spoke again.

"Alright, let's do it," she said.

The next thing he heard was fingers and knives trying to open a slat between the lid and sides of the box. Finally, there was enough of a crack to slide a stout branch in. After working the lever long enough to get the lid open, the two rescuers grabbed Ichabod and hoisted him out of the box. They helped him to level ground before sitting down and taking a breather.

"Thank you ever so much, Miss Mills. And thank you as well. May I ask your name?" Ichabod looked at the marshal.

"Name's Aetius Cassian. And you must be Ichabod Crane?" Aetius responded.

"I see Miss Mills told you about me. How is it that the two of you were able to find my location?" the newly freed Crane asked.

Jennifer pointed to Aetius, "He tracked the impressions your feet made on the terrain to this spot."

"I see, and what is your occupation that allows you to be so adept at tracking," Ichabod turned back to him.

"I'm a U.S. Marshal, which means I work for the federal government and track down fugitives. Special types of fugitives," Aetius winked at him.

The Revolutionary War soldier was a bit taken aback at this gesture, but he recovered himself nicely, "You believe us about everything that's happened here?"

"The U.S. Government has been fighting Moloch's forces for a few years now all over the country using the Marshal Service. Jennifer told me about the Horsemen and the apocalypse that's coming, and how the fugitive that I've been tracking, Henry Parrish, is the 2nd Horsemen..." the marshal explained. Ichabod's face turned to an expression of anger, "That man's real name is Jeremy Crane, and he's my son..."

"Whoa, I figured out he was the 2nd Horseman, but I had no idea he was your son..." Jenny gasped. "What happened to Katrina and Abbie?" Aetius asked him.

"She had to take my wife's place in Purgatory. She was going to cast a spell to prevent the 2nd Horseman from emerging from the ground, but Jeremy fooled us. He imprisoned me in the box and placed Katrina in the possession of the Headless Horseman," Ichabod replied sadly.

"Then we have to go after Abbie and Katrina. The sooner, the better," the fed remarked.

"Alright, I'll go after Katrina. I have an idea of where to find the Horseman," Crane said.

"Not alone you're not. I have the firepower to take that guy on. We need to walk back to my car and get what we need," Aetius calmed him down.

"Such as?" Ichabod was curious.

"Believe me, he's got good stuff," Jenny smiled.

"I need to call for back-up to keep tabs on your son and make sure he doesn't interfere with us. There are several other marshals I can get to come here," Cassian reached for his cell phone.

While the marshal was busy calling in help, Abbie's sister turned to Ichabod, "You're not going to like what I have in mind, but it might be better if you and I went into Purgatory to find Abbie. You know the incantation to get there and you've been there multiple times. I wouldn't have any idea how to find her in that mess. You could tell Aetius where to look for Katrina... He has the weapons to disable the Horseman."

"I see your point, but I must insist on rescuing my wife. I owe it to her..." Katrina's husband stood firm. "I know, but Abraham's nearly killed you multiple times. Let the marshals take care of this. They've been doing this for years," Jenny tried to persuade him.

Ichabod was struggling with the decision he had to make. On the one hand, he loved his wife and wanted to be the one to save her, but he had not been successful against his old friend in battle. And if Jenny was right about the weapons the Marshals Service had, then maybe Aetius going after Katrina was the right thing after all.

He agonized over the decision for 15 minutes before the marshal finished his phone call and came back over, "There are five more marshals coming from New York City and New Rochelle. Three of them will track down your son and keep eyes on him while the other two will intercept any demons Moloch tries to throw at us."

"Marshal Cassian, I have given some thought to our plan, and I think you should be the one to go after my dear Katrina. Jennifer and I will venture into Purgatory and bring the Leftenant home. Do you agree with this," General Washington's loyal soldier suggested.

The fed looked surprised, "Uhh—okay, if you think that's the best course of action. Are you sure about this?"

Ichabod sighed, "Yes, I am. I'm trusting you with Katrina's life. Bring her back..."

Aetius nodded with resolve in his eyes, "I will..."

Jenny looked to the marshal, "We're going into Purgatory to get my sister very shortly, but Ichabod needs to tell you something first."

"That's where to find the headless guy?" the marshal turned to Ichabod.

"He was once my friend, a man named Abraham. We were at odds over Katrina, and suffice it to say, it did not end well for him. I know of a spot in the river where Katrina's coven dumped his body after I killed him in a battle. He rose from it when I did, and I think that may be where he's taken my love..." Crane told Aetius with a heavy heart.

"Alright, can you tell me where exactly that is?" Aetius questioned him.

"It's about four or five miles west of here. Once you find the stream, the spot will be right in the marsh you first see. Bring her back, Marshal Cassian," Ichabod said with a sense of desperation.

"I promise you'll be holding your wife in your arms in a couple hours," the marshal swore.

"We should get going," Jenny interrupted.

"Of course, to the matter of finding Miss Mills. There is an incantation we must say," the Englishman mentioned.

"Before you go, take this. It'll do some damage against any enemies you may encounter. Silver bullets with electromagnetic tips," Aetius handed Jenny his pistol.

"Thanks, I'll take good care of it," she was relieved to know they weren't going empty-handed. "Ready?" Ichabod asked her.

Jenny nodded, and they recited the incantation. Aetius watched as a mirror-like portal formed in front of them, "Good luck and godspeed."

The marshal saw the two enter the portal and then it disappeared. He walked the considerable distance back to his sedan and got in to drive west.


	3. Chapter 3

Jennifer and Ichabod didn't waste any time in breaking free from the fantasies that engulfed them in Purgatory. The Englishman found his way to Abbie's sister and they began to look for her. They were confronted with all sorts of weird creatures, but none of them tried to attack.

"Do you have any idea where to look for her? Something that Moloch might entrap her in or where she may hide?" Ichabod asked.

Jenny thought carefully, and then it hit her. Back when she and Abbie were children and had seen Moloch, they had thought of a safe place to give them solace from their troubles. "The dollhouse! I bet that's where she is, wherever that is in this creepy-ass place," she replied.

"Hmm, it appears that your sudden revelation has given us a sound idea of what to search for. Let's get on with it, then," the Englishman used a bit of flowery language as they trudged off into the abyss.

* * *

Aetius parked his car at the side of the road after driving west for a few miles. He retrieved a couple of additional pistols and a few stocks of a special kind of ammunition specifically meant for the Headless Horseman. The marshal picked his way through the dense woods and after what seemed like hours, finally came to the bank of the stream. He followed it a little until he saw the marsh. Taking one of his guns out of the holster, he started to mumble to himself, "Where are you, you ugly bastard..."

Looking around fervently, he picked a shallow point and crossed the stream. Stepping on the opposite bank, he found himself right at the marsh. He carefully scouted the area, looking for any sign that the Horseman or Katrina had been there. All of a sudden, he felt vines wrap around his body.

"Oh shit," Aetius muttered as the vines rocketed him through the air and slammed into the side of a nearby tree.

The marshal held on to his gun as he was wrapped against the tree. He gritted his teeth when he saw his attacker, "Well, well, if it isn't Henry Parrish, or should I say Jeremy Crane..."

The man Aetius had been chasing for so long stood below him, only a few feet away admiring his handiwork, "Ah, so my father survived after all. It must have been you and that Jennifer woman who dug him out of the prison I put him in. I'd almost admire your tracking work if it didn't interfere with my plans."

The U.S. Marshal decided to keep his captor talking as he subtly inched his gun to get it into a position to fire at Crane's foot, "So what's it like being Moloch's bitch? Really man, why do the work of a demon to destroy the world? What's the point of ruling over a world if it's already gone?"

Ichabod's son allowed just a twinge of anger to cross his face before he laughed, "I see what you're trying to do. No, no, you're not going to distract me so you can take potshots at me." He focused his powers on taking away the marshal's weapon.

"Too late," Aetius grinned as he fired the gun.

Jeremy groaned in pain as the silver bullet packed with ultraviolet energy pierced his foot and burned the skin.

The vines loosened and the wily marshal dropped to his feet, "You always underestimated me, Parrish. All the running, it ends here! Now where's Katrina and that son of a bitch headless guy?!"

The marshal's quarry looked up at the gun pointing at him, "Your words are nothing. I won't tell you anything, but I will do this!"

With a small nod of his head, Jeremy sent Aetius flying backwards. His head hit the tree trunk.

Dazed from the blow, the marshal saw Ichabod's son leering at him, "You would do well to know your place in the higher order of things. Moloch's words are law, and we must obey. You have known this for a long time, and I will force your hand if need be..."

Aetius remained defiant, "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me. There's no way in hell the apocalypse is happening on my watch!"

Jeremy smiled, "You always were a stubborn do-gooder, Aetius. You can help us remake the world. Moloch has a grand design that is pleasing to me."

"All I wanted to do was live my life in peace as a federal marshal, and you, Abraham, and that moron demon boss of yours had to screw it up. I'm tired of hearing talk about destroying the world. It's time you learned a lesson in reality," the marshal surprised Parrish with a massive burst of green energy from his hand.

It was Aetius' turn to stalk the fallen Crane, "Ah, the perks of being the third Horseman..."

Jeremy tried to fight back with his own powers, but the U.S. Marshal silenced him again with a blast of green energy, "Now, you're going to tell me where Abraham took Katrina, or what you experience next will be very unpleasant..."

The 2nd Horseman shook his head, "Your power has so much potential. Help us remake the world, and Moloch will welcome you back with open arms..."

Aetius wasn't having it, "The 4th Horseman tried to do the same thing. Convert me to this end-of-the-world nonsense. Where is he right now? Oh right, I killed him. Granted, it was in self-defense, but the fact remains. I don't know about you, but I want a world to live in. I'm the only one of you morons who has a heart. Who do you think it was that alerted the government to the existence of Moloch and his minions?"

A look of shock crossed Jeremy's face, "You didn't... You betrayed us?" "I prefer to think of it as looking out for the well-being of my fellow man, but you could call it that too. I'm the one who's been the driving force behind the Marshal Service's campaign against Moloch. And what's more, every fed knows I'm the 3rd Horseman too. Ironic, don't you think? Moloch's own undoing will come from within..."

He prepared a massive blast with the smoky green magic emanating from both his hands, "Last chance before I start doing some real damage, where did Headless take Katrina?"

"They're closer than you think," the 2nd Horseman laughed as he saw Abraham approach Aetius from behind.

The marshal saw Jeremy's eyes shift to the side for just a moment and realized what was about to happen. He barely ducked an ax blow aimed at his neck. Aetius now found himself stuck between fighting two of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but he was the third one. It wasn't long before he was in a shootout with his headless counterpart. He darted along the trees, dodging gun blasts and firing back when he could. Abraham was relentless in his pursuit of the the Third Horseman, but even he was starting to run out of ammunition.

The marshal had conserved his ammo, and waited for an opportunity to put his headless rival down. He ran behind another tree and tripped over something. Regaining his footing, he decided to turn the tables on the Horseman. Aetius waited for him to reload, and then fired several UV bullets at him. They found their mark, and Abraham fell to his knees, damaged by the shots.

"I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago," the marshal revved up his magical powers again, ready to put an end to the Headless Horseman once and for all.

Before he could let loose, he was knocked down by an attack from behind. Jeremy had recovered sufficiently to stun Aetius.

Ichabod's son rushed over to Abraham and glared at the good Horseman, "I can assure you this isn't over..."

The two Horsemen disappeared in a blinding flash of light, presumably into Purgatory or some other hidden hell.

"Damn it!" Aetius fired a barrage of green blasts in anger at not getting the chance to rid the world of Horseman of Death.

He went back to the tree where he had tripped in an effort to calm himself, trying to find out what had caused him to lose his balance. It was then that he spotted a foot jutting out from some nearby brush. The marshal cleared the brush and saw a stunningly beautiful brunette with an 18th century period black dress, "Wow, Katrina Crane, you are something else..."

Katrina started to stir as she opened her eyes and saw Aetius looking down at her, "Who-who are you?"

**I'm sorry that the Jenny and Ichabod part in purgatory was so short, but I really wanted focus on Aetius' background for this chapter. Chapter 4 will cover Jenny and Ichabod's quest to find Abbie**


	4. Chapter 4

Ichabod and Jenny were in the midst of trudging through Purgatory when a thought occurred to the Englishman. "Miss Jennifer, has it occurred to you that there might be more to the marshal than meets the eye?" he looked over at her.

Jenny smirked, "The man saved my life, so I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even so, I don't think he's hiding anything."

"I hope you're right about that. Let's just hope he's faring well against Abraham..." Ichabod hoped Aetius would come through for him.

As they continued walking into the land of lost souls and weird environments, Jennifer decided to ask a loaded question, "Ichabod, this might be inappropriate of me, but I need to know. Do you have feelings for my sister?"

He almost stopped walking when he heard the question, "You know I love my wife..."

"I know that, but that's not an answer," she replied.

"Why must you persist in this line of questioning?" an irritated Ichabod replied.

"Because I've seen the two of you so many times together. You have a bond there that you don't have with Katrina," Jenny reiterated.

"And I suppose you think the marshal is going to swoop in and steal my wife from me? That I need a fallback?" he tried his best to keep calm.

"That wasn't what I was getting at. Look, you haven't truly been with your wife in over 200 years, so re-connecting could be a bit difficult. You're conflicted with feelings for two women. You're loyal to your wife, but is that what your heart really wants in the end?" she made a good point.

The former professor wanted to retort, but he bit back a reply. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. He truly loved his wife, but his bond with Abbie meant a lot to him as well. Ichabod stayed silent for a while until he spotted an odd-looking structure, "I think that may be our dollhouse..." "It looks just like the one we had as children. Abbie has to be inside..." Jenny mused.

"Finally, something to focus on besides my relationship status," he rolled his eyes. Both of them moved carefully on the house, making sure Moloch wasn't nearby.

Abbie Mills had been contemplating ways to get out of the dollhouse and back to Earth, but she had lost Katrina's pendant that would protect her from Moloch. It was a great risk to go outside, and the decision was weighing on her mind heavily. It didn't help that she had to deal with a doppleganger that kept annoying her. She was sitting in a chair trying to think of her next move when she heard a ramming against the door. Before she knew it, the door burst open and Ichabod and Jenny tumbled into the room.

"You guys work fast..." Abbie smiled.

"We had some help," Jenny replied.

"Katrina, right?" her sister assumed.

"Nope, from a federal marshal who saved my hide from a crash the Horseman caused me to be in. He's trying to rescue Katrina."

"You were in a car crash, and she's missing? What happened?!"

"It turns out my son is a traitor to us all. Henry Parrish played us all for fools, what with being the 2nd Horseman," Ichabod chimed in.

"Oh jeez, that's not good. How are we going to fight him?" Abbie asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. The marshal does have certain peculiar weapons. Maybe he can help..." the Englishman mused.

"We'll find a way. We always do," Jenny agreed.

All of a sudden, there was a loud banging against the dollhouse door. "It seems that Moloch is upon us. Shall we," Ichabod held out his hands for everyone to grasp so he could transport them back to Sleepy Hollow.

Before he could begin saying the incantation, Moloch slammed through the door and began striking everyone. He focused the brunt of his attack on Abbie, while Jenny and Ichabod struggled to keep him off her. The demon kept flinging them off and tried to choke Abbie as she fumbled around, hoping that she had misplaced Katrina's pendant in her clothing. She was gasping for air when she finally found it. While Moloch was distracted momentarily fighting off Ichabod and Jenny, she thrust the pendant into Moloch's chest and kept the pressure on it. The demon screamed in pain and ran out the door to recover himself so he could renew his attack. Ichabod quickly thrust his arms out and the two women grabbed them as he said the incantation. They barely managed to escape into Sleepy Hollow before Moloch went to attack them again.


	5. Chapter 5

Katrina shrank back from Aetius, fearful that he might be another minion of Moloch.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Aetius. I'm friends with your husband," he gently held his hand out to her.

The witch refused to move, "How do I know you're not aligned with my son or the Horseman?"

"Because I just beat the hell out of them trying to rescue you," the marshal laughed and pointed to the cuts on his forehead.

She reluctantly took his hand and allowed him to help her up, "You still haven't told me who you really are..."

Aetius sighed, "Ever the interrogator, aren't you? Alright, my full name is Aetius Cassian. I am a U.S. Marshal with the federal government. And one other thing you should probably know if we're going to be saving the world and everything, I'm the Third Horseman..."

Katrina gasped and tried to muster what magic she could to fight him, but she was too weak to do much with it. "No, no! You won't hurt me! I won't allow it, not after what I just went through with my son turning his back on me..." she released her hand from his and tried to run away before stumbling.

The U.S. Marshal knelt down over the terrified Katrina, "Let me prove that I'm not a monster like the others..."

His hand touched her face ever so softly. She could feel the green magic emanating from his aura as it washed over her in a warm, comforting sensation. He let go after several seconds.

She could feel that her injuries were healed, and the drowsiness in her head had gone away. The witch knew that he could still be trying to fool her, but her guard was down with this kind act.

Aetius smiled, "See, do you believe me now?"

Katrina didn't really know what to say, "Uhmm-thank you. I owe you a debt of gratitude for that. Yes, I do believe what you say, but you'll pardon me if I keep a watchful eye on you..."

"Honey, you can keep an eye on me all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm a good man. Now, I can take you back to your husband where he'll be waiting for us," he beckoned her to come with him.

She realized that trustworthy or not, the Horseman was the only ally she had at the moment. The witch was still a bit woozy and struggled to walk. He supported her as they walked the long distance back to his car.

After a couple of hours, Aetius and Katrina finally reached the sedan. "What is this strange contraption?" the witch scratched her head.

"It's a car. Think of it as a horseless carriage that's a lot faster than what you're used to," the marshal explained with a grin.

She fumbled with the door handle before he stopped her, "That's my side. If you drove this thing, you'd give me a coronary. Try the front door on the other side."

Katrina glared at him as she walked around to the passenger door and simply stood there. Aetius rolled his eyes, "You can open your own door. I'm not going to do it for you."

She had a look of disgust in her eyes, "You clearly know nothing of manners, Aetius. Are you going to do the honorable thing or not?"

The marshal opened his door, sat down in the driver's seat, and put his seat belt on before closing the door. He used the power locks to unlock Katrina's door, "There you go."

The witch was furious as she roughly opened the door and sat down in a huff, "You are such a rude, impossible man!"

"Thanks, I try. Now take that strap that's just above you, pull it, and lock it into the slot near your waist. It's a safety thing," he gestured to the seat belt.

She struggled with the strap, but eventually got it buckled as he snickered. "Do you find this humorous, treating me in this way?!" an exasperated Katrina rested her head against the seat, trying not look at him.

Aetius shrugged, "When you've been dealing with demons and horsemen as long as I have, laughter is part of what keeps you sane. Believe me, in this time women are considered equals with men. They do things on their own, and while Ichabod will treat you with appropriate chivalry, the rest of the world won't. I'm just trying to help you get accustomed to the way things are now."

She sighed, "It seems that I have much to catch up on. Still, you could be a little more polite..." He started the engine and looked over to her, "I will do that. I am sorry. I didn't mean anything by it..."

Katrina braced herself as the car started to travel along the road. When she realized she was in no danger, she answered him, "I understand what you were trying to do, and in a way I agree with it. Anyway, you still haven't told me what your motives are for defying Moloch and his goal to bring the apocalypse."

Aetius had a faraway look in his eyes as kept an eye on the road, "Ever since I was a child, my parents noticed that I was different. I could heal people with a touch and destroy even the sturdiest materials with my magic. They kept me hidden from the world and tried to get me help from all the doctors around. Nothing worked, though. As I got older, I learned to have complete control over my powers and to live with them. I put myself through college and worked my way up the totem pole until I became a federal marshal. It was then that I found out why I had my abilities..."

"Moloch gave them to you..." Katrina guessed.

"Yes, it turns out the feds had been tracking my every move since I was a young child. They presented me with a video that showed that demon killing my birth parents and infusing me with powers when I was only an infant. My true parents were recording a video of me to show their love, and Moloch slaughtered them... He made me the Third Horseman of the Apocalypse..." the marshal sighed heavily.

"My god... I'm so sorry that he put you through all that strife. No one deserves that. No one," the witch took pity on him.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but me being so powerful is kind of a good thing. You see, the American government was at war with Moloch long before I was born, and they were losing. Demon sightings were occurring across the country, with destruction and loss of life. The C.I.A, which is a type of spy network, tracked Moloch's appearance where he killed my parents. When they saw the video that showed him making me the Third Horseman, they saw an opportunity to turn the tide against Moloch..." Aetius mused.

"So this C.I.A. arranged everything for you? Your foster parents, helping you to harness your powers, the Marshal position-" Katrina concluded.

He cut her off, "Not the U.S. Marshal job. That I chose on my own and I worked my ass off to earn that position."

"Alright, you don't need to be indignant with me. I meant nothing by it," she tried to placate him.

"My apologies, but I take great pride in my work. And yes, the C.I.A. did arrange for my upbringing with two of their agents as my foster parents. Thirty-two years later, here I am. The product of their attempts to harness my powers and bring the fight to Moloch..." the marshal shrugged.

Katrina had been listening to his story and was beginning to think this man was really who he said he was, "I believe you, but you're going to have to tell the others eventually, and perhaps give us a demonstration of your powers..."

Aetius laughed, "It's not that easy you know... We get out here. It's just a little ways through the woods to where the portal is located. Hopefully, they'll be waiting for us."

It wasn't long before Katrina and Aetius made it back to the spot where Purgatory was located. They waited about ten minutes before the eerie green glass portal showed up. Ichabod, Abbie, and Jenny tumbled out rather violently before the portal closed.

Aetius looked down at them, "It's good to see everyone's all here..."

**I hope you guys like the story so far. If you can take the time to review, even just three words or something, I would be very grateful :)**


	6. Chapter 6

When everyone was standing again, Ichabod and Katrina embraced and celebrated their reunion. Jenny introduced Aetius to Abbie. After everyone was acquainted, they began to discuss their next move.

"I think we should relocate to New Rochelle. It is well-protected by my fellow marshals, armed with the same weaponry that I have. Moloch and his two Horsemen will think twice before attacking there..." Aetius suggested moving to his city.

"I get that your weaponry will have some effect, but we may need more power than that to defeat them. Katrina helps with that, but I'm not sure if it's enough," Abbie wasn't so sure.

"It will be enough. Aetius is the Third Horseman, and he already vanquished the fourth one," Katrina blurted out.

The marshal gave her a sour look, "You know, you didn't have to go and say it like that. I would have told them."

"When? At a time convenient for you? We're trying to save humanity, not be great with our timing," the witch shot back.

They both turned to see dumbfounded looks from Abbie, Jenny, and Ichabod.

"Yep, Moloch gave me my power as a child. The federals kept me from being influenced by him and raised me in a good family. I harnessed my powers, earned a Marshal's star and all that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was kind of preoccupied getting everyone together," Aetius smiled sheepishly.

"This just hit a whole new level of weird," Abbie shook her head.

Ichabod tried very hard to keep from getting angry, "Jeremy and Abraham turned their backs on me and the rest of mankind. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't expect the same from you..." "Because I'm a human too. I like the world as it is, not some wasteland that Moloch would create and rule over. And I have some personal motivation for getting back at that monster..."

"Such as?" Jenny questioned him. "He killed my birth parents. I never had the chance to know them. Irina and George were senselessly cut down, all in the name of a sick power game Moloch is playing. So if you want to know which side I'm on, well, the answer's pretty obvious," the marshal replied with a note of sadness.

"If you're really a Horseman, then you have powers. Can you show us?" Jenny asked.

"Alright, here goes," Aetius extended his right hand outward and a brilliant beam extended from it. A nearby pile of leaves was destroyed and a bush was almost pulled from its roots. "Enough proof for you?" he answered.

Jenny nodded, impressed by his display.

"If you really are who you say you are, then what's your endgame? Besides getting revenge for your parents and saving the world. There has to be something in it for you..." Ichabod was making sure he thoroughly vetted him.

"I have two main goals. One, I want to be able to live a life as a marshal who doesn't have to worry about demons anymore. That way, I can live in my apartment, get married, and have some semblance of normalcy. The second is to free all the people Moloch has trapped in Purgatory. Its very existence is unnatural and contrary to the laws of nature. With Moloch gone, Purgatory will be destroyed and the good souls trapped there will either go to heaven or regain life if they weren't killed in the physical world. That is what I most want to achieve..." Aetius explained.

Katrina gasped when she heard this, "You want to destroy Purgatory itself?!"

"More or less. It has to be done, for the sake of souls going to the proper places they need to go when people die, Heaven or its subsidiaries. You're probably wondering why I'm going to do all this. It is for a simple reason, the same reason for which the two of you are Witnesses," the New Rochelle native pointed to Ichabod and Abbie, "We have been entrusted by that being who watches over the world. Some know it as God, others the Great Spirit, and so on. I'm not a very religious man, but I've come to believe there's a higher purpose to all of this. With Moloch gone, the world will be as it should, populated by people who can exercise free will without an apocalypse looming over them."

"Divine or not, we have a Horseman and a witch with us. I'd say our odds of taking out Moloch and his cronies went up big-time," Jenny smirked.

"I don't know about all this. You did save Ichabod and Katrina, but the cop in me is asking if you can be trusted," Abbie was unsure of Aetius' loyalty.

"The truth is, you can't trust me. None of you know me, but my actions will speak for themselves. They already have so far, and I ask that you give me the opportunity to introduce you to my fellow Marshals and CIA handlers. They know me far better than anyone. If you don't like what you hear, you're free to leave and I will never bother any of you. We're all on the same side here..." the marshal offered a way to satisfy the group's concerns.

"You did save my wife and myself. I'm willing to take a chance with you in battling Moloch..." Ichabod made up his mind.

"If the feds vouch for you, then I'll go along with it. We're already in a shitstorm anyway," Abbie agreed.

"Good, now can we go? We've spent way too much time in the woods," Jenny urged everyone. "Yes, I think some refreshment would do us all some good. Shall we go back to this...car you took me in?" Katrina started walking.

"It'll be a tight fit, but I think three of you can fit in the back seat," Aetius smiled as he followed the witch while Abbie, Jenny, and Ichabod followed.


End file.
